Up to 10 Steps 🔟

🐾 Work your way up to 10 steps

We are almost at the goal.

In this step, we gradually increase the distance from 5 steps up to 10 steps.

For now, 10 steps are completely enough.

Anything beyond that will come later, because technically speaking, if your dog can perform 10 clean steps, he already understands the heelwork itself. Longer distances, endurance and duration are a separate topic.

🎯 Keep the routine consistent

At first, the process stays exactly the same.

That consistency gives your dog security and helps him maintain the correct position.

But do not always walk exactly 10 steps.

Instead, vary the distance:

➡️ 3 steps
➡️ 7 steps
➡️ 10 steps
➡️ 2 steps
➡️ 5 steps

This keeps the dog attentive and prevents the exercise from becoming predictable or boring.

🎉 Add more praise

Up until now, the training has been quite calm and technical.

At this point, you can start adding much more emotion and praise.

Be happy with your dog, motivate him and clearly show him that he is doing the right thing.

Many dogs start to show more body tension and expression at this stage, and some may even begin to show a little more paw action.

If that does not happen yet, that is completely fine — we can build that later as well.

🧍 Keep your body controlled

Even though your praise can become much more emotional, your own movement should still stay quite controlled.

For now:

✅ keep your body relatively stiff
✅ do not start swinging your arms yet
✅ do not suddenly increase the pace

Those elements will come later.

💡 The goal in this step is simple: build up to 10 clean, focused steps while keeping the same position, head carriage and structure you have worked on so far.